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Mentaiko (明太子) is marinated pollock roe, a common ingredient in Japanese cuisine. It is available in almost all supermarkets as well as shopping channels on TV. This mentaiko spaghetti is a popular Japanese-style (wafu/和風) pasta along with many other dishes made with mentaiko such as mentaiko onigiri and mentaiko-mayo sauce for baking seafood.

This is how I scrap the mentaiko off from the sac, lining a plastic wrap on the chopping board and scrap with the back of a knife. The membrane of the sac is edible but it is usually discarded.

Ingredients (2 servings):

150 g spaghetti or angel hair

Water for cooking pasta

Salt (2% of the amount of water, eg: 1 litre water add 2 g salt)

50 g butter

2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise

1/2 sac of mentaiko (about 2 heap tablespoons)

30 g Parmesan cheese

4-5 shiso leaves, shredded

Nori strips

Method:

Cook pasta according to the direction on the packaging material.

Meanwhile, heat a pan with low heat. Add in butter and mayonnaise, melt butter and mix well with mayonnaise. Do not burn.

When pasta is done, drain and transfer to pan. Toss to coat with sauce, turn the heat off.

Add in mentaiko (you may want to reserve some for garnish) and cheese, mix well.

Transfer to serving plates, garnish with shiso and nori. Serve warm.

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Alright, I guess you are more interested in this one... are you a winner? Congratulations to our winners, Angie Yeow and Jane Chew, both of them are from Australia. I am thinking if I should post a photo of the items in each parcel, but then no surprise anymore. For now, there will be two little gifts together with a copy of Japanese Home Cooks in each parcel.

My big thank goes to all participants, to those who have bought my book and to those showing interested in my book. Not to forget, your kind words are the forces moving me forward. Without any of you, MK would not be so lively. I feel grateful.